Disability and Equity in Education Commons^™

I Am Ready For College. Are You Ready For Me?: Investing In Inclusive Higher Education For Young Adults With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities In Minnesota, Travis Bowen, Lindsey Morrison, Janessa Jandt, Claire Ziegler

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

Minnesota has made a nominal investment in the education of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) beyond high school. Young adults with IDD face many barriers to access and enrollment in Minnesota inclusive postsecondary education (PSE). Barriers include a lack of postsecondary education options, a limited capacity in Minnesota's three existing Comprehensive Transition and Postsecondary programs (CTPs), and unclear available funding options. Young adults with IDD deserve the same opportunity to pursue postsecondary education in Minnesota as their peers, particularly in our public higher education institutions. The Minnesota State system must include adults with IDD in their 2020-2023 Equity …

The Politics Of The Hero's Journey: A Narratology Of American Special Education Textbooks, Elise Assaf, Jennifer James, Scot Danforth

Education Faculty Articles and Research

This paper explores introduction to special education textbooks in order to illuminate how they portray the social and political work of special educators, especially in relation to disabled students and adults. This study analyzed five leading special education textbooks used in university teacher education programs using traditional methods of discourse analysis, including line-by-line coding and language-in-use with valuation. The analysis and coding tracked story plot components and characters associated with five phases evident in the narrative structure of a hero's journey: (1) the call to adventure, (2) supernatural aid, (3) threshold guardians, (4) trials and tribulations, and (5) the return. …

Library Programming For Autistic Children And Teens, Amelia Anderson

STEMPS Faculty Books

This second edition provides key information, updated program ideas, and practical tips that will help library workers feel more prepared to serve members of this prevalent population.

Since the first edition of this landmark guide was published, there has been increased interest in services for library patrons on the autism spectrum; indeed, more people of all ages now self-identify as autistic. Those who understand the unique characteristics of autistic young people know that ordinary library programming guides are not up to the task of effectively serving these library users. Well qualified to speak to this need, Anderson is an …

The Power Of Inclusion: Deconstructing “Normality” In Primary Education, Madison Smith 21

Honor Scholar Theses

The goal of this thesis is to critically analyze the structures currently present within the education system that exclude individuals possessing certain brains and bodies from the socially constructed “norm.” The lens of critical disability studies is utilized to shed light on the spatial, curricular, historical, and disciplinary elements of the education system as we know it. Specifically, this thesis focuses on the primary education classroom, since students solidify many of their biases and schemas about the world and people around them at this juncture. After reviewing the ableist rhetoric that manifests itself in schools and society as a result …

Girls In Stem Day: From Space To Dna, An Analysis Of Middle School Girls' Interests In Stem Fields, Emily Carter

Undergraduate Research Symposium Podium Presentations

Research specifically targeted at youth participation in STEM highlights the importance of community engagements outside of school to bolster interest in STEM. We ask the research questions: (1) How do girls who engage with a day-long STEM event at UNLV perceive hands-on science activities? (2) How did girls’ enjoyment of science activities shift their interest in science topics? The purpose of this study is to identify factors that influence middle school girls’ interests in STEM fields through a day-long STEM event. This research was conducted at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) in 2020 called Girls in STEM Day …

The Perceptions Of High School Graduates Regarding The Effectiveness Of Their 504 Accommodations, Jackie A. Wyche

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the perceptions of high school seniors diagnosed with mental or physical impairments regarding the effectiveness of their 504 academic accommodations. The approach of this qualitative study was transcendental phenomenology. Phenomenology is defined as the qualitative approach to research that encompasses the exploration of lived experiences of the participants. The participants for this research study were high school graduates who had 504 accommodations during high school. Participants for this study contr ibuted by answering open ended questions from an interview guide. In the course of the in depth data analysis, the interviews …

The Corridor Of Shame: An Immersed Analysis Of South Carolina Schools, Darren R. Burton

Senior Theses

This research project discusses school funding instruments of rural and urban schools in South Carolina and uncovers its effect on student academic achievement. Educational achievement is assessed based on report card datasets between 2018 and 2019, containing South Carolina Assessment of State Standards (SCPASS) score data and South Carolina College and Career Ready Assessment (SCREADY) score data. This research project uses a comparative analysis to evaluate each group’s performance in the subjects of English Language Arts and science. The statistical analysis tools that this research project uses include analysis of variance (ANOVA), linear regression analysis, and Microsoft Power BI. The …

Leadership In Disciplinary Alternative Education Programs And The School To Prison Pipeline, April Michele Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Current research about the school to prison pipeline has focused on the impact of zero-tolerance policies in public education on historically marginalized student populations, especially school exclusionary practices of minority and learning-disabled students. This transcendental phenomenological study extended the understanding of disciplinary alternative education programs’ place in the school to prison pipeline trajectory. According to critical race and social justice leadership theories, the investigation and exposure of the public education components leading students into the school to prison pipeline are violations of student civil rights that require scrutiny and actionable public education reform focused on equity and inclusion.The purpose of …

Becoming Inclusive: A Collection And Analysis Of The Perceptions Of Newly Qualified General Elementary Education Teachers On Their Preparedness For Teaching In Inclusive Settings, Brooke M. Armesto

Honors College Theses

Pre-service teachers majoring in elementary education generally have few opportunities to teach students with disabilities. This research addressed the question “How do newly qualified general elementary education teachers perceive their preparedness to teach in inclusive settings?” The goal of this study was to discover what areas new teachers need to become more proficient in order to successfully teach within inclusive classrooms. The topics explored include perceived preparedness for teaching in inclusive settings, ways to measure preparedness, current approaches in teaching within the inclusive settings and strategies for preparing preservice teachers. Using a qualitative narrative design, five newly qualified elementary inclusion …

Studenting And Teaching With Chronic Pain: Accessibility At The Intersection Of Contingency And Disability, Beth Greene

Academic Labor: Research and Artistry (2017-2022 archives)

While much attention is given to undergraduate students with disabilities, far less is devoted to graduate students, particularly those who also act as faculty: Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs). This article discusses issues of accessibility encountered by these contingent faculty members, specifically GTAs who have invisible disabilities, and how approaching discussions of contingency and disability with an ethos of transparent vulnerability—a level of transparency that necessarily leads to vulnerability—can help combat the stigma that continues to surround contingency and disability in higher education.

Parents Of Children With Disabilities In The Early Months Of Covid-19: Knowledge, Beliefs And Needs, Mary Beth Bruder Phd, Tara M. Lutz Phd, Kelly E. Ferreira Phd

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

COVID-19 has impacted families across the world. Besides the huge task of keeping their children and themselves healthy, families had more responsibilities such as supporting their children’s learning at home when they could not go to school. We asked 457 parents of children with disabilities about their knowledge, beliefs, and needs during the first few months of the pandemic. The parents reported a decrease in formal supports available to them. They also reported a decrease in being able to access informal supports. The parents stated concerns about the health and well-being of their families, the loss of jobs and income, …

Using Telehealth To Adapt Service Delivery For Children During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Maureen Russell, Cathron Donaldson, Jill Pleasant, Kelly Roberts

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Staff from the Institute for Human Development (IHD) at Northern Arizona University have provided evaluations for children with developmental disabilities (DD) in Arizona communities for over 20 years. These evaluations include Developmental Evaluations, Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) evaluations, and evaluations for eligibility for Part C of IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act) early intervention services. Following the evaluations, IHD staff may provide interventions that consist of training, coaching, and direct services.

Evaluations and follow-up interventions have historically been provided in homes, the community, or a clinic setting by interdisciplinary teams that consist of two or more of the …

Acknowledgments, Matthew T. Wappett Ph.D.

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Covid-19 On Disability Services And Systems: Perspectives From The Field, Ronda Jenson, John Tschida

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

No abstract provided.

A Self-Advocate’S Perspective On The Covid-19 Pandemic, D.R. Reff

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

This article summarizes the experience of a self-advocate from Idaho during the COVID pandemic. This article addresses issues of social isolation, mental health, and social supports.

Virtual Advocacy: Lived Experience Takes Center Stage During And After Pandemic, Gyasi Burks-Abbott, Amanda V. Gannaway, Amy Szarkowski, Jason M. Fogler, David T. Helm

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

COVID-19 forced a significant change for participants of the Disability Policy Seminar (DPS) typically held annually in Washington, D.C. The DPS is a policy event that both informs its participants about current policy and supports attendees visiting Capitol Hill to meet with legislators. In 2020, the DPS event, which took place during the early phase of the pandemic, was shifted from “on the Hill” to “across the screen”. Through the various lenses of an autistic self-advocate, a mother of a child with a developmental disability, and faculty of a LEND (Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disabilities) program, this paper …

Perspectives Of Immigrant Families And Persons With Disabilities During Covid-19, Diana Rodriguez Lmsw, Kathleen Mcgrath Msw

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Background: The health, economic, social, political, and psychological consequences of COVID-19 have been deeply felt on a global level. Persons with disabilities, including those from Hispanic/Latino immigrant communities, have faced unique challenges during both the peak and fallout of the pandemic. Throughout both the United States and New York City, COVID-19 has disproportionately affected communities of color. However, the impact of COVID-19 on persons with disabilities among immigrant and communities of color is still unfolding.

Aims: In this paper, we aim to better understand the compounded stress of the COVID-19 pandemic experienced by immigrant families who have a child with …

Changing Needs Of Individuals With Disabilities In The Time Of Covid-19 As Observed By A Family Navigation Program In Miami, Fl, Gabriella Llano, Allison Kumnick, Jean-Paul Bryant Ms, Nancy Torres Ms, Jeffrey Brosco Md, Phd, Maite Schenker Phd

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

The Family Navigator Program (FNP) is designed to help families navigate the complex system of services available to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), chronic health conditions, mental health issues, and other special health care needs. Based at the Mailman Center for Child Development at the University of Miami, the FNP is free and available to all families in South Florida. Most families enrolled in the FNP are receiving medical services from a university clinic; however, the program also accepts referrals from outside agencies and self-referrals. The aim of this study was to investigate the needs of families enrolled …

Autistic College Students And Covid-19: Anxiety, Support Needs And Responses By Specialized Programs, Jessica Monahan, Laurie Ackles, Amy D. Edwards, Brian Freedman, Pamela Withers Lubbers, Sara Sanders Gardner, Cherie A. Fishbaugh, Jane Thierfeld Brown

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Providing resources and support to college students during the COVID-19 global pandemic has produced unique challenges for all students, particularly those with autism. In March 2020, halfway through the spring term, the COVID-19 global pandemic forced most institutions of higher education across the country to move all instruction and support to an online, remote format, including those for students with autism. Colleges and autism support programs are now grappling with how to effectively support students amid a global pandemic. Yet there is little information available about how students’ needs have changed with this new environment. In this exploratory study, 76 …

Using Quality Improvement (Qi)-Focused Evaluation To Redesign Direct Home- And Community-Based Services During The Covid-19 Public Health Emergency:, Marcia Moriarta, Anthony Cahill, Heidi Fredine

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Like many UCEDDs in the Developmental Disabilities (DD) network, the Center for Development and Disability at the University of New Mexico offers direct service programs in home and community settings. Before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, services were delivered in-person to about 1,000 families across the state including clients with intellectual or developmental disabilities and/or from at-risk communities. In March 2020, due to the spread of COVID-19, a public health emergency was declared in New Mexico and home and community services were stopped throughout the state. This meant direct service programs at the Center had to turn to telehealth …

Increasing Access To Augmentative And Alternative Communication Services For People With Complex Communication Needs During Covid-19 And Beyond, Cristina L. Pujol, Anamaria Nevares, Michelle Schladant

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

The COVID-19 global pandemic has affected the disability network across the world. In the United States, there are millions of people who cannot use their natural speech to communicate. Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), a form of assistive technology (AT), helps people with complex communication needs (CCNs) to communicate with others. Examples of AAC include printed pictures and speech-generating devices. A team of professionals work together with the person with CCNs and their caregivers to choose the right type of AAC. Often, people with CCNs need face-to-face and ongoing AAC support. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, this population already faced …

Connection, Involvement, And Modeling: Co-Constructing A Story Of Resilience Despite Early Parental Loss, Erin E. Silcox

The Qualitative Report

The use of oral history and narrative inquiry to investigate factors of resilience in the face of parental death is absent from the literature. Also, researchers have not linked factors that support resilience against trauma and that lead to positive change in residential treatment with the role of educators. In this study, my father-in-law, Norman, and I answered the research question: What factors in Norman’s adolescent life supported his resilience in the face of an early parental loss? I analyzed Norman’s oral history using narrative analysis methods. Findings include factors that led to Norman’s resilience including his connection to a …

Building And Maintaining Sanctuary Spaces Through Face To Face Writing Assessment, Jeffrey Austin, Ann Burke, Ellen Foley, Gretchen Rumohr

Teaching/Writing: The Journal of Writing Teacher Education

Seasoned secondary and college instructors discuss successful face-to-face assessment, especially in virtual settings. F2F assessment frees educators to co-create equitable literacy learning experiences with students, encourages agency, demystifies the grading process, develops the classroom community, and brings meaningful inquiry about writers’ own skills and practices, ultimately disrupting inequities and inequalities of traditional grading and creating “sanctuary spaces” for all writers.

Application Of The Cluster Classification Data Mining Method To Child Illiteracy In Indonesia, Muhammad Arifin, Gita Widi Bhawika, M.A. Muazar Habibi, Winci Firdaus, Danu Eko Agustinova, Robbi Rahim

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The objective of this study is to cluster and classify data using a combination of the k-means and C4.5 methods. The process involves clustering and subsequent classification. The classification process uses k-folds = 10 and samples = stratified sampling. In this study, analphabets in Indonesia of a minimum age of 15 years (15+) were evaluated. The data are the percentage of analogs between 2017 and 2019. The dataset was obtained from https://www.bps.go.id and is accessible at https://osf.io/crwug. In this study, the Davies Bouldin index (DBI) was used to determine the number of clusters with an optimal DBI value of k …

2021 Women In Literature Read-In, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

Cultural Read-Ins

This event was co-sponsored by BELLAS, GEN, Girls IN2 STEM, Peer Multicultural Educators (PME), the IRC, and the English team.

Narrative Experiences Of Fathers Of Children With Down Syndrome, Corey Rose

Educational Studies Dissertations

This dissertation explores the narrative experiences of fathers raising children born with Down syndrome. The study joins a recent stratum of research on parents of children with Down syndrome which is grounded in critical disability theory, adheres to a social model of disabilities, and adopts narrative methodology, but which thus far has not investigated fathers’ experiences. 22 fathers, recruited by means of snowball sampling, participated in a two-question, semi-structured interview with a follow-up conversation. Findings from question one indicated that, in the initial moment of diagnosis, fathers experienced adverse encounters with medical personnel, intense negative emotions about the diagnosis, distressing …

The Perceived Importance And Ability Of Secondary Agricultural Education Teachers Regarding Accommodating Students With Exceptionalities: A Mixed Methods Study, Raegan Ramage

LSU Master's Theses

Each year, the number of students who have a documented disability in public schools in the U.S. has increased. However, SBAE instructors continue to identify a lack of confidence when teaching students with exceptionalities. This lack of confidence is exacerbated by a lack of professional development opportunities and preservice training offered by teacher preparation programs regarding teaching students with special needs. To better understand this complex issue, this mixed methods investigation sought to describe Louisiana SBAE instructors’ previous educational experiences focused on accommodating students with special needs and describe their desired professional development opportunities regarding accommodating students with special needs. …

Together Yet Different: Youth Resilience Building Srtategies Post-Pandemic, Frank Kros

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

The social isolation, economic stress, resource barriers, and enduring uncertainties of the COVID-19 interventions created a “perfect storm” for youth anxiety, depression, grief and trauma. To meet these unprecedented needs, adults can step-up to this new normal by boosting their youth resilience building skills. This workshop will show you how with practical, effective and immediately applicable tools. Learn seven (7) new strategies to support youth through the grief process; effectively manage significant stress; recover from trauma and build her/his personal resilience.

Schoolwide Strategies To Scale Up Sel And Trauma Informed Practices, Gastrid Harrigan, Fanya Jabouin-Monnay

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

This presentation will provide participants with strategies to energize, recharge, and upgrade their Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and trauma-informed practices to better meet the needs of the 21^st Century learner. Participants will be exposed to researched-based strategies, methods, and techniques to scale up their SEL initiatives. They will also learn ways to incorporate trauma-informed practices into their school culture and classroom routines.

Don't Run Out Of Steam! Barriers To A Transdisciplinary Learning Approach, Jennifer C. Caton

Journal of STEM Teacher Education

Reform-based instruction can maximize learning and provide equitable access for students in both mathematics and science. A proposal for change by national organizations shed light on the need for programs in integrated science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) or with the inclusion of the arts (STEAM). A balanced approach to integrated STEAM education uses real issues from around the world to challenge students to be innovative, creative, and think critically about ways they can provide solutions. The purpose of this article is to highlight the potential of a transdisciplinary STEAM instructional approach, while examining the barriers that teachers face in …